New CalCCA Hires to Focus on Legislative, Strategic Initiatives
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 28, 2019
Press Contact: Leora Broydo Vestel
(415) 999-4757 | leora@cal-cca.org
New CalCCA Hires to Focus on Legislative, Strategic Initiatives
Addition of MacNeil and Pappas Bolsters CalCCA’s Presence in Sacramento
Concord, Calif. – The California Community Choice Association (CalCCA) is pleased to announce that Sean MacNeil and Nick Pappas have joined CalCCA in the newly-established roles of Director of Legislative Affairs and Director of Strategic Initiatives and Outreach, respectively. Their extensive public policy and utility sector experience will significantly enhance CalCCA’s efforts to support the growth and long-term sustainability of Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) in California.
“Sean’s and Nick’s wealth of experience working on energy matters in the California Legislature and with key energy market stakeholders will bolster CalCCA’s ability to advance and protect community choice, which is playing an ever more critical role in California’s clean energy future,” said CalCCA Executive Director Beth Vaughan.
CalCCA’s new Director of Legislative Affairs, Sean MacNeil, is a public policy veteran with a strong background in energy, environmental, labor, and local government policies. Sean began his career as legislative aide for Assemblymember Helen Thomson, and subsequently served as chief of staff for the following California Senate and Assembly members: Patricia Wiggins, Noreen Evans, Michael Allen and, for the last six years, Richard Bloom. In Bloom’s office, Sean managed a staff of ten and served as liaison between Bloom and elected officials, lobbyists and advocacy groups.
Sean will serve as the head of all legislative matters for CalCCA. In that capacity, he will work closely with statewide representatives and decision-makers at the California Legislature, develop and lead the CalCCA legislative agenda, and direct and oversee representation of CalCCA before local and state representatives and the Legislature.
CalCCA’s new Director of Strategic Initiatives and Outreach, Nick Pappas, began his career as a staffer in Assemblymember Nathan Fletcher’s office, focusing on energy and climate legislation and impacts to residential rate design, net energy metering, and cap and trade, among other issues. Nick subsequently worked as a senior legislative advocate at Southern California Edison where he developed and executed strategies on a broad suite of policy issues ranging from energy procurement and customer programs to emissions regulation and distribution reliability. Since 2016, Nick has been a dual MS student at UC Davis in the Energy Systems and Agricultural and Resource Economics programs.
Nick will develop and manage various initiatives aimed at supporting the continued development and success of CCA, with particular emphasis on identifying and facilitating strategies for multi-jurisdictional and long-term industry issues and trends, as well as expanding the CCA community’s engagement with other energy industry stakeholders. Nick will also work with CalCCA leadership to Identify critical policy issues facing the CCA community and develop potential pathways for resolution.
Sean and Nick are based in CalCCA’s new Sacramento office.
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About CalCCA: Launched in 2016, the California Community Choice Association represents California’s community choice electricity providers before the state Legislature and at regulatory agencies, advocating for a level playing field and opposing policies that unfairly discriminate against CCAs and their customers. There are currently 19 operational CCA programs in California serving an estimated 8 million customers.
For more information about CalCCA, visit www.cal-cca.org.